Process for effecting the separation of materials.



R. JAPFfi.

PROCESS FOR EPFECTING THE SEPARATION OF MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 16 1912.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

Qua-MM? RICHARD J'AFFE, or rRAN-xroRT-oN-rHE-MAIN, eenmanr.

PROCESS FOR EFFECTING THE SEPARATION OF MATERIALS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

Application filed March 16, 1912. Serial N 0. 684,335,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD J Arse, a subject of the German Emperor, and resident of Frankfort-on-the-Mam, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes for Elfecting the Separation of Materials, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has for its object to effect theseparation of materials in an improved manner, and consists in causing the materials to penetrate through a pervious layer floating on a liquid, the said layer consisting for example of a foam, emulsion, another liquid, or the like. The various grains or particles of the materials to be separated, require a greater or lesser-time to penetrate through the layer, according to their size, specific weight, and other properties such, for instance, as their capacity for becoming wetted, the character of their surfaces, their cleavage, and the like, and therefore the different constituents fall after various intervals of time into the liquid on which the layer floats, and settle at definite parts of the bottom in the required separated condition and can then be removed.

The process can be carried out for instance by causing the materials to be dressed and supplied from a charging device to penetrate through a layer of soap lather floating on'water, the layer of lather being in motion, while the lower liquid which supports thelayer of lather is at rest.

In the accompanying drawing, there is illustrated more or less conventionally a. portion of anapparatus adapted to carry out the improved process, referring to which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view; Fig. 2 is a plan view; Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, it will be seen that the-apparatus includes a trough-like body provided at thebottom with a lurality of pockets A, A, A A in w ich trough are arranged two superposed bodies of liquid, for example, a lower body B of water and an upper body or layer C of soap lather. A' eeding hopper D is arranged to deliver the material to be treated upon theupper surface of the upper liquid layer or body C and the latter is caused to move beneath the hopper D b suitable means as for example by a sha t E journaled in op osite walls, of the trough and provided wlth blades e and a driving device F.

finely divided material, comprisin previously explained the desired separation 1s effected by the time that is required for the various constituents of the mixed mass being treated to pass through the upper liquid layer C and said different substances will he therefore collected at different points in the lower liquid body 15 and the pockets AA-". The floating layer, or the lower liquid. supporting it, or both of them, should be. in rest or in motion, either with the equal velocities, or with different velocities, in. one and the same or in opposite direction.

lVhat I claim isl. The herein described method of separating the constituents of a mixed mass of finely divided material, comprising depositing material to be separated upon the upper of a plurality of superposed bodies of liquid differing in specific gravity, and both of less specific ravity than the constituents to be separated, while maintaining relative movement between said upper liquid body and the stream of material in a direction transverse to that in which the stream of material moves, the separation being effected by the passage of the material through the upper liquid as set forth.

2. The herein described method of separating the constituents of a mixed mass of' finely divided material, comprising depositing material to be separated upon the upper of a plurality of superposed bodies of liquid differing in specific gravity, and both of less specific gravity than the constituents to be separated, while maintaining relative movement between said upper liquid body and both the stream of material and the lower liquid.

3. The herein described method of separating the constituents of a mixed mass of finely divided material, comprising depositing the material to be so arated upon a lather-like layer supported y a liquid body while causing said lather-like layer to move relativeto the stream of material and to the supporting liquid, all of said material passing through the lather-like layer and being separated during such passage and deposited in the lower liquid body at different points, as set forth. I I

4. The herein described method of separating the constituents of a mixed mass of depositing the material to be separate upon a liquid body composed of a lower layer of water and an upper floating layer of the character described, all of the material passname to this specification in the presence of ing through said upper layer and being two subscribing witnesses. separated during such passage so that the RICHARD JAFFE. constituents thereof will be deposited at dif- Witnesses: 5 ferent points in the body of Water. FRANZ HASSLAGHER,

In testimony whereof I have signed my ERWIN DIPPEL. 

